VCU Libraries invites students to apply for funding to attend the American Library Association Convention in 2026.

Deadline for applications is March 25, 2026. First, second and third-year undergraduates and first-year graduate students are eligible to apply. Application form is online.

The recipient will receive funding to attend the American Library Association Annual Conference in Chicago, June 25- June 29, 2026. At the conference, the student will be paired with a librarian mentor from VCU Libraries, attend literary award ceremonies, tour exhibits, and attend author and publisher sessions. As part of this honor, the student also will receive an associate membership in ALA, the nation’s most significant professional organization for librarians.

This experience can be a life-shaping one, as it was for the 2025 recipient Basil Forrest, majoring in both English and anthropology. He said:  "I had never been to a conference, or thought seriously about my future after undergrad, but the conference gave me the opportunity to see so many different aspects of libraries and how they work. It was incredibly cool to stand in the hub of librarians and attend panels, poster sessions and booths."

The ALA awards the United States’ most respected prizes in children’s literature including Newbery, Caldecott and the Coretta Scott King Awards. Medalists and honorees, authors and illustrators of the year’s honored books for children and young adults appear at talks, signings and at other gala events during the conference–which will provide the VCU student a rich experience in exploring a panorama of literature for young people.   

Funding for a VCU student to attend the conference is provided by the Leila Christenbury Literacy Fund along with support from the Friends of the VCU Libraries. The Leila Christenbury Literacy Fund was established in 2007 with gifts from Leila Christenbury, Commonwealth Professor Emerita in the VCU School of Education.